Etymology: < Anglo-Norman prouse, Anglo-Norman and Middle French prose (French prose ) form of discourse which is not subject to the rules of verse (c1265), hymn (13th cent. in Anglo-Norman), composition recited in the Mass after the gradual (first half of the 14th cent.), written document (14th cent.), text in prose (1476) < classical Latin prōsa prose (as opposed to verse), in post-classical Latin also an accentual hymn, in which the pronunciation and word order of prose is used (11th cent.; from 1200 in British sources), rhymed (as opposed to quantitative) verse (13th cent. in a British source), use as noun (short for prōsa ōrātio ) of feminine of prōsus , for earlier prōrsus (adjective) straightforward, straight, direct, contracted < prōversus , past participle of an otherwise unattested verb *prōvertere to turn forwards < prō- pro- prefix¹ + vertere to turn (see vert v.¹). Compare perhaps Sanskrit pravr̥tta, past participle of pravr̥t- to roll on, proceed. Compare Catalan prosa (14th cent.), Spanish prosa (13th cent.), Portuguese prosa (13th cent.), Italian prosa (13th cent.).Sense A. 2 may have arisen partly by false analysis of proces , plural form of process n.; compare process n. 4.

Etymology: < prose n. Compare French proser to put (something) into prose (1608), to write prose (1662), Italian prosare to write prose (a1543).